Flying insect numbers plunge by 60% in less than 20 years

NUMBERS of British insects have fallen at a ‘terrifying’ rate, which threatens our way of life, a report warns.

Moths, flies, aphids, bees and flying beetles have declined by nearly 60 per cent in less than 20 years, according to a survey led by Kent Wildlife Trust and Buglife.

As well as pollinating, insects perform natural pest control, break down organic matter and return nutrients to the soil, conservationists said. A world without them could make life on Earth very difficult.

The survey asked members of the public to record the number of flying insects squashed on their number plate and compared it with data from 17 years ago. The number of insects sampled fell by 59 per cent between 2004 and 2021.

Among the reasons for the decline are widespread use of insecticides, fragmentation of habitats, the warming climate and the loss of wildflowers on farms.

Matt Shardlow, chief executive at Buglife, said: ‘This vital study suggests that the number of flying insects is declining by an average of 34 per cent per decade, this is terrifying.’ This must be halted, he added.